Flexible covering material and method of making the same



Oct. 2, 1928.

J. A. WILSON FLEXIBLE COVERING MATERIAL AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Original Filed NOV. 12, 1923 f I w. a

l NV ENTOR Patented Oct. 2, 1928.

UNlTED-STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OHN A. WILS N, o ELIzABETH, NEW ERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO DURATEX CORPORA- K, 0E NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

' FLEXIBLE COVERING MATERIAL AND METHOD or MAKING THE SAME.

Original application filed November 12, 1923, Serial No. 674,313.

- June 2, 1924. Serial No. 717,299.

The present invention relates-t0 an improvedxfl'exible covering material and the method ofimaking. the-same. It has to do,

more particularly, with a" flexible covering material which may be manufactured at a low cost andrwhich maybe used as a substitute for leather, or rubber coated fabrics, as-a covering for-furniture, or a top or deck material for use in-connection with automobiles, and for other similar purposes. The present application. is a division of my Patent No. 1,501,156,issued July ,15, 1924. e

The main object/0f my .present invent-ion is to-providea flexible covering material which maybe manufactured at a low cost, has many highly desirable qualities, is ofsuch a character that -it=may be used as-a substitute for leather, as a-covering for furniture, or as a top or deckfmaterial for automobiles, and in many similar situations.

- A further object of my invention is to pro- Vide a flexible covering material of this character which employs burlap as'the base fabric so as to secure-economy of manufacture by the use of a comparatively cheap and coarse fabric such as burlap.

*A further object of my invention is to pro vide an improved method of making a flexible covering material of this characterin which a burlap base is coated with a layer of cementing or water-proofing material, made up of oxidized oil or oils, andthen provided with a surface coating of a suitable character which may be finished as desired.

"Further objects, and objects relating to de tails and economies of construction and ogeration,will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow. In one instance, I accomplish the objects of my invention by the devices and means set forth in the following specification. My invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the appended'claims.

A material constituting one embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,.forming a part of this specification, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a piece of burlap suitable for use as the base fabric in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a'sectional View of a piece of burlap after it has been subjected to a smoothing operation.

Divided and this application filed Fig. 6 illustrates a layer of facing fabric secured to the burlap base by means of this layer of cementing material.

Fig, l is a sectional view througlran'other material constituting an embodiment of my invention in which a surface coating is a'p-' plied to the facing fabric secured to the'bur-' lap base by the layer of cementingmaterialflas illustrated in Fig. 6, and

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a portion of th fabric illustrated in F i 7, parts of the layers being broken away to i lustrate the successive' I layers of material.

In the drawings, the same reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

In carrying outany invention, I first prof pose to take a fabric, such as burlap, which is of comparatively open mesh and woven from threads made of coarse'fibres such as jute, and

subject this burlap to a. calendering operation-which smooths it out and flattens the threads so that the coarse weave is not as prominent as it would otherwise be. This step is not absolutely essential, but I find it desirable because it prevents the coarse weave of the base fabric showing in the finished material. I next apply to this smoothedburlap base, 10, a layer, 11, of a cementing or'waterproofing material which, in accordance with my present invention, consists ofxproperly treated oxidized oil or oils, such as linseed oil, for example. Such oils have the property of remaining in a plastic, or semi-plastic, state for a considerable period of time, and set after exposure to the air for a considerable period. Having applied this layer of oxidized oil to the burlap base, I may next apply a surface coating, 12, directly to this intermediate layer of oxidized oil. This surface coating may well be of pyroxylin composition having suitable oils included therein to give the film the desired flexibility, and such pigments as are usual and as may be desired. The material thus p mduced, constitutes one embod menti my nv en, i dsi mayembossed or the surface coating finished in any suitable way to give the desired appearance.

r t tes t th e bs b seal slayer o siiitable fabric, 13, such as sheetingq-by. means of this intermediate layer, 11, of cementinsz eat r al, suc a. ;1iZ6.d0 lh sheetinghaying been cemented or. doubled to the lay of oxiethe burlap base bymean-s of zed ih he surfa e a ing, ipyr ry i may be then-applied to }tlie ,sheeting, such Pt9 ylin.-he i g. d the t oilsior. Pi mentsto give the desired flexibility and color of film, i n--the mannerwell understood in the art., {Ehispyroxylin film may, be, and pref? erably is, relatively; thin, diate-layer of cementing anaterial, :for-med ing thisi instance of linseed I oil or suitable w oxidized oil, has sufficient thickness and: body 0 receive and retain the embossing impression. The-material may be embossed after the surfacecoating has beenapplied thereto,

the subsequent settingof the intermediate layeriof'goxidized oil,-due to exposure to air,

; the factthat it is of riotoriouslyopen 'weave' will preserve the embossing impression theren: p d, I

-Burlap is a fabric which has been known for -a long time and =which1iszrelatively very cheap, as compared with the-fabrics which haveheretoforeibeen used in the production of 1 pyroxylin coated material. Burlap :has been regarded as entirely unsuitable as arbase fen py'm'itylin coated fabrics, vdue. probably ito and that the fibres are coarseandbrittle and (if-such character that they'would not appear to give atgood anchorage for the pyroxyliii film. Due to the open weave of the burlap, it would appear to require an unduly large amount of pyroxylin composition to produce theidesired coating upon this material, since the open'weave' would take up lar e quanti- I u n b ties of thecoating composition. For such reasons, burlap has notbeen used as a base for pyroxylin coating material.

' I have found, however, that by applying to the burlap base, an intermediate layer of Sui-table cementing material, in this instance,

- a' layer of oxidized oil-suchl'as linseed Oi l,*tl1e cheap burlap may be usedeas a base'without absorbing igreat quantities ofthe coating composition, anchorage of the pyroxyli'n film may be se- 5 Cured. The intermediatelayer of oxidized oil also adds to the water-proofing qualities of the pyroxylin film and the result is a flevir ble material which is'clothlike'in character.

and which-isvefyflexible so that it maybe I have found it. very desirable also, instead of applying the surface coating div rectly to''thelayer of'oxidized oil, to cement and the intermeand that a' very satisfactory.

bent through a considerable are without cracking. This material has all the advantagcsiof pyrox yli i coatedifabrics, inlthat a most excelle "t surface finish may be. applied thereto in a variety of colors and designs.

It also receives retains, satisfactorilyfia z a 3 embossing inipression.j' "Thef'resgilt'"is t with aburlapbasefIhave'beeiiable to obtain substantially thesameaud 43W better results than have hretdforeben' obtained by he app wt eae za pyroasy ia ceasin directly tothe more expensive and closely woven fabrics, such as sateen or moleskin, for;example. r

,I .-am aware-that therp atriciilai: materially and method EOf making it, disclosed inathis. applicatiomunayibeivaried COllSllilBfiilhlYiWllih outdeparting fromzthespiritiofimyiinaentinu and, therefore, I desireto'claimmyzinheutmn broadly as i-ndiicated-bythe appendediclaiinsi Having thus described myrin ventiom what I claim as new, fifldillSGfllliHldadSlfBitO: secure by Letters'Patentis; L

1. Afiexible, waterproof, ,cQVeiing-QmateQ rial comprisinga burlap:basie,:an1intermedi,-

ate layer of oxidized oil appliedatojsaidzburla 'base, and asurface coatingcfipyroxylin, said material being. ada'ptedrto i'flGXi0I=kbGDl' through a considerable are without cracking. 1

rial comprising a burlap zbasepaniintermedb ate layeroxidizedslinseed oil; applied ito'saidbase, and a surface.coating=;adapted to.;be-

finished or embossed, materialzbeiiignapable of (flexing: or bending? throughtacomsiderable are without cracking.

.A' flexible, water proof, COYBIjllgLH'XIfiiG- rial comprising; aburlap A basegamintermedi ate layer of oxidized oilapplied toisaid biur lap base, a.- facing fabric secured:- to, .saidfbnrlap base by said intermediate-layer, :andaa surface coating appliedito said-facing; fabric;

4. 'A flexible, water proof, coveringmmat'erial 'comprisin :au'burlaprbasai-an' intermediate layer of oxidized oilappli-edito saidibiirfabric cementedate said lap base,.a facing burlap base by said intermediateilayeraaifdi a surface coating ofi pyroxylinappliedito facing. fabric.

5. A flexible, water proof,vcover'ingzinate;

ing a surface coating of pyroxylin to said facing fabric.

8. The method of making a flexible coycring material, comprising doubling a facing fabric to a burlap base by means of an intermediate layer of oxidized linseed oil, and applying a surface coating to said facing fabric.

9. The method of making a flexible covering material, comprising doubling a facing fabric to a burlap base by means of an intermediate layer of oxidized linseed oil, and ap plying a surface coating of pyroxylin to said facing fabric.

10. The method of making a flexible covering material, comprising smoothing a burlap base, doubling a facing fabric thereto by means of an intermediate layer of oxidized linseed oil, and applying a surface coating of pyroxylin to said facing fabric.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

JOHN A. WILSON. 

